


Ten Days of Tenzo Day 1: Summer

by Gemonie03



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cute, Gen, I'm not sure what to tag this, Ten Days of Tenzo, fluff?, maybe? - Freeform, watermelon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 07:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20078737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemonie03/pseuds/Gemonie03
Summary: Tenzo and Iruka bond over some jutsu and watermelon





	Ten Days of Tenzo Day 1: Summer

It’s an oppressively hot day. The temperatures have reached record highs for this time of year and the humidity makes the air so thick you could drink it. Most of the local residents have boarded themselves up in the comfort of air conditioned rooms, but not everyone is so lucky. 

Iruka slides to the ground at the base of a large oak tree. He can’t remember ever being this hot before, and he certainly can’t remember the last time he had to take a mission as long as this one. Since becoming the Vice Principal of the Academy, Iruka’s been tasked with making trips to the Academies in other villages to discuss creating a combined curriculum. Some days he loves it. Getting to discuss teaching and the future of the shinobi world’s youth with like minded individuals has been an amazing experience. However, days like today, where there’s nothing but travel and constant heat, are miserable. 

“Are you alright Sensei?” 

Iruka looks up and meets Yamato’s large dark eyes. The man looks legitimately concerned, which Iruka both hates and appreciates. 

“I’m fine. I just need a break. It’s like trying to run through hot soup out here.”

Yamato huffs a laugh through his nose, and the frown of his thin lips curves into just the slightest of smiles. He then turns his attention from Iruka to the tree the man is leaning against. 

The area that they’re traveling through has been in drought for the last few months. Most of the vegetation is old and withered and crunches under their feet. The maple tree seems just as bad off. It barely has any leaves and the ones it does bare are small and shriveled. Iruka had picked it because it was the only one in the area with any foliage at all, but it didn’t really provide any real shade or relief. 

Iruka watches with interest as Yamato frowns again before running one hand down the bark of the tree. The touch is gentle, reverent, as though the tree is a small child in need of comfort and care. And, Iruka supposes, for Yamato it might be.

"Will it be okay?" Iruka asks after a long moment of just watching.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's difficult to say. If this drought goes on much longer I don't think it will make it. It's a shame. This tree is over 100 years old." 

“Is that old for a tree?”

“Not particularly, it’s probably about halfway through its life span, but to think that something that’s lived through four Great Wars and even the creation of the Five Great Shinobi Villages is going to die this way is… sad?” 

Iruka hums. 

He continues to watch as Yamato closes his eyes and presses his hand more firmly against the tree’s trunk. After a moment the tree rumbles a little. Iruka jumps back a little, startled, as trees don’t normally move, and watches as small buds form over every branch. After another second the buds erupt into beautiful blooms of green leaves, filling out branches and casting a large shadow over the area where they’re standing.

“Wow,” Iruka breathes as Yamato pulls his hand away from the revitalized tree. “I knew you  _ could  _ do that, but it’s different to see it actually happen.”

“Uh,” Yamato stammers a bit as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, “I guess that wasn’t the  _ best  _ use of my chakra, but, well…”

“No, no, I get it.” Iruka smiles as he settles against the trunk of the tree again. “It’s like when I see one of my students struggling with something. Maybe it isn’t their forte, but, I still want to do everything I can to motivate them to do their best. They deserve to have as much of a chance as possible, and I want to give them that. I want to give all future students in all the nations that chance. That’s why I so readily accepted this mission despite the fact that I knew it would keep me away from home for so long.”

“Hmm… You’re missing all the Summer festivities,” Yamato laughs as he settles down next to Iruka in the shade. 

“I am. Naruto’s worried I’m going to miss the birth of their child. I keep telling him that I’ll be back long before Hinata’s due date in March, but, well, you know how he is.”

“I do.”

“Is there anything you’re missing out on?”

“Not unless Orochimaru is holding a festival or something.”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Iruka frowns. 

He isn’t sure if he’s crossed a line here or not. Yamato hasn’t been the most talkative travel companion over the last few weeks, and Iruka has figured that the man is used to either silence or being ignored. He’s been extra careful not to bring up anything that might lead back to the Captain’s normal assignment, but Iruka figures, it was doomed to happen eventually. 

“I have an idea,” Yamato says quite suddenly before digging into his pack. 

He pulls out a small envelope from one of the side pouches and pours a single black seed from the packet into his hand. He places the seed in the parched soil in front of himself before flipping through some hand signs and slapping his palms onto the ground. From under his palms a vine begins to rapidly grow. It slithers out across the ground for several inches before sprouting yellow flowers which then quickly turn into small green orbs. Iruka watches in wonder as the orbs grow larger and the solid green breaks into stripes. And just when the fruits look perfectly ripe and ready Yamato pulls his hands away from the plant and dusts them off on his pants. 

“Would you like some watermelon, Sensei?” Yamato beams at Iruka.

Iruka can feel the grin spread across his lips as he nods far more excitedly than a man in his thirties probably should over some watermelon.

Together they dissect the melon with a kunai and manage to eat a whole one on their own. After their watermelon feast Iruka picks a couple of the smaller melons to pack into scrolls for later, and then the pair pick themselves up and start again on their journey to the next village. 

“Thank you for that, Captain Yamato, it was much needed,” Iruka hums contentedly as they slowly meander down a winding wooded path.

“You, um, can just call me Tenzo, Sensei,” Yamato responds so softly Iruka almost thinks he didn’t hear him correctly. 

“You should call me Iruka then, Ten-zo.” the teacher replies with his best grin. 

  
As Iruka turns back down the path to their next destination he can feel the forest around him start to slowly come to life again. He can’t help the pool of warmth in his stomach as out of the corner of his eye he sees the green leaves of new growth follow Tenzo as they walk through the forest. Maybe the heat isn’t  _ so  _ bad. As long as the company is good. 


End file.
